Land swap hits I-295 roadblock

Tuesday

Jun 16, 2009 at 12:01 AMSep 10, 2014 at 11:59 AM

Hopewell City Council is apparently rethinking a land swap with Prince George County.We question the wisdom of that move.The land swap between the two municipalities was the work of two years of negotiations and would modify the boundary line between c

Hopewell City Council is apparently rethinking a land swap with Prince George County.

We question the wisdom of that move.

The land swap between the two municipalities was the work of two years of negotiations and would modify the boundary line between city and county along Interstate 295.

City and county officials looked at the land along I-295 and realized that Hopewell owns land that is part of the Appomattox River Park, located west of the interstate in Prince George County. The county on the other hand owns land across the boundary line, east of I-295 - in Hopewell. The city's soccer field is located on this parcel.

Officials from both localities concluded that it made sense to simply swap these two parcels, which at 27 acres each are about the same size.

An agreement between Hopewell and Prince George County was drawn up last February, and after two public hearings, nothing stood in the way of inking the deal.

On Tuesday, the Prince George Board of Supervisors approved the deal. But on the same night, the Hopewell City Council tabled its vote on the deal - based on a motion by Councilman Gerald Stokes' to renegotiate the deed and acquire some additional land along the interstate.

Hopewell City Attorney Thomas Lacheney, one of the to-be signers of the original agreement, said that this unforeseen change surprised him. "I thought that council would vote in favor of the agreement, it was just a formality," he said.

The Hopewell move caused even more surprise in Prince George. "I'm really confused," County Administrator John Kines said. "Why did Hopewell change everything at the end of the game?"

That is a very good question.

Stokes found a majority vote for his motion to table the vote and asked City Manager Ed Daley to renegotiate the deed to include an additional strip of I-295.

Some officials are claiming that Hopewell is seeking a larger stretch of I-295 in order to expand the area where Hopewell Sheriff deputies have increased their patrols and speeding tickets.

Hopewell controls a 2-mile-strip of I-295 and last year the Sheriff's office launched a program to aggressively patrol the highway. Tickets and its accompanying revenue soared. In 2008, deputies wrote 2,096 tickets that brought in $161,000 in fines. In the first quarter of this year, 1,889 tickets were written, generating a revenue of $108,000.

Sheriff Greg Anderson has said in the past that he wants even more deputies to patrol I-295 in the future. But he denies he had anything to do with the effort to add another 1,000 feet of highway to the Hopewell.

However, it should be noted that Councilor Stokes is a Hopewell Sheriff's deputy.

Hopewell City Manager Daley said that he will now approach Prince George County officials with the intention to renegotiate. "We will ask them for the extra strip of the interstate, but we'll not trade more land with the county," he said.

That seems like a nonstarter for Prince George officials. County Administrator Kines says there is no way that Prince George is handing over more land to Hopewell without something in return. "We can't have a one-sided agreement that only favors Hopewell," he said. And Prince George Board of Supervisors Chairman Henry Parker said if Hopewell wants to change the deal at the last moment "that's their problem."

The solution to this issue is simple. Hopewell City Council needs to approve the land swap as had been agreed upon. Trying to change a deal at the 11th hour is not fair and could damage relations with Prince George County officials.

If Hopewell wants to another 1,000 feet of Interstate 295, that is a matter for a new set of negotiations. First, Hopewell City Council should address the agreed upon deal that is on the table. It is time for Hopewell City Councilors to stop thinking and approve it the land swap.

Submit Content

Market Place

Social Media

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Progress-Index ~ 15 Franklin Street, Petersburg, VA 23803 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service